Arkansas AD reveals details of when he initially contacted MU about Anderson

David Briggs

Sunday

Mar 27, 2011 at 12:01 AMMar 27, 2011 at 1:00 AM

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Days before Mike Anderson expressed his desire to retire at Missouri, Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long called his counterpart in Columbia to discuss the future of the Tigers’ basketball coach.

Long called Mike Alden, whom he considers a friend, after a March 2 report linking Anderson to the Razorbacks job. ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb said at the time he believed that Arkansas would fire its coach, John Pelphrey, and pursue Anderson.

“Trust me, that was really premature and long before we made a decision on making a change with our basketball coach,” said Long, who fired Pelphrey after the season. “When that happened, I reached out to Mike Alden and told him there’s no truth to that. If we make a change, I told Mike, ‘There are a lot of people that believe very strongly in Mike Anderson, but if we have a change I would reach back out to you … to let you know we have an interest.’ ”

Arkansas had an interest. Three weeks after Anderson told the Tribune he planned to be at Missouri for a “long time,” he agreed to return to Arkansas, where he spent 17 years as an assistant under former Razorbacks Coach Nolan Richardson.

Long said one of the reasons he knew Anderson was the right choice was because Alden didn’t want to lose him.

“That was a strong signal to me that I was looking at the right guy, because” Alden “obviously wanted to retain Mike Anderson,” Long said after Anderson was introduced at Arkansas yesterday. “So on one level, because of a professional friendship, I feel badly that he’s left Missouri.”

LOCKED IN: Don’t expect Anderson’s eye to wander anytime soon.

Anderson is subject to a $1 million annual buyout — nearly four times what his contract required at Missouri — if he chooses to leave Arkansas before his seven-year deal expires.

“I’m at home,” Anderson said after he was asked about potential future overtures from other schools. “As long as they want me here, I’m at home.”

Anderson’s contract prohibits him from leaving for another job in the SEC. Like with his deal at Missouri, he must submit a written request to Arkansas’ administration if he decides to pursue another job. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, must also do the same before negotiating with another school on Anderson’s behalf.

Missouri is owed $550,000 for Anderson’s buyout.

FOLLOW ME HOME: Anderson wouldn’t comment on whether he expects any of his former Missouri players to follow him to Arkansas, dismissing a suggestion the Pressey brothers may want to join the Razorbacks.

Highly touted freshman point guard Phil Pressey, and his brother, junior Matt Pressey, are the sons of Anderson’s former college roommate and close friend, Paul Pressey.

“I won’t even comment on that because that’s speculation,” Anderson said. “Those guys at the University of Missouri, at this point in time, they’re focusing on trying to get prepared for who’s going to be their coach.”

Any MU player who transfers to another Division I program would have to sit out a year. Anderson does not have any available scholarships if he retains former Razorbacks Coach John Pelphrey’s signees. He inherits a recruiting class ranked No. 5 nationally by Rivals.com.

NO TURNING BACK: Anderson scoffed when asked if he felt fan sentiment at Missouri had slanted too far against him last week to comfortably return as the Tigers’ coach.

“You’re speculating,” he said. “I can’t answer that.”

Many MU fans who once prized Anderson had grown weary of the coach’s annual flirtations with other programs. Even as sources said Missouri was prepared to offer the coach a two-year extension that would have bumped his annual salary from $1.55 million to nearly $2 million, Anderson continued to hold out for the Arkansas job.

“Gosh, he’s really alienated pretty much everybody there is to alienate,” one prominent booster told the Tribune on Wednesday before Anderson’s exit became official. “Mike’s a good guy and all that stuff, but let’s face it, there were quite a few people that weren’t in favor of him having a raise of any kind.”

BOOOOO!: Fans at Walton Arena did not take kindly when a television reporter from Columbia interrupted Anderson’s backslapping introductory press conference with a question about his abrupt departure from Missouri.

Asked why he didn’t address the fans or media in Missouri after leaving Wednesday, Anderson replied, “We did a press release, and that was to all the fans.”

Missouri, however, did not issue a press release. Anderson noted MU fans in the ninth paragraph of a statement issued to the media in Arkansas.

“I always made sure they knew from this coach and from our staff that they were instrumental in what took place,” Anderson said before a crowd in excess of 5,000. “I may have not done it personally, but I know I addressed it through a press release.”

Fans booed the reporter’s follow-up question before Anderson put up his hand.

“No, no, no, it’s legit,” Anderson said. “I was part of that community. One thing I always talked about, they’re going to see me everywhere. They’re going to see me at the ballpark, they’re going to see me at the barber shop. … I always did appreciate and patronize all of the people there in Columbia.”

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